Tag / Roy Smalley

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#110 – Kevin Hickey

Hickey2004

Name: Kevin Hickey

Rank: 110

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1981-1983

Chicago native Kevin Hickey joined the White Sox organization following an open tryout in August of 1978 after a team staffer saw him playing softball.  After 3 seasons in the minor leagues, Hickey broke camp with the White Sox in 1981 and made his major league debut in the home opener, throwing a hitless inning of relief in the Sox 9-3 victory over the Brewers.  Hickey finished the year with 41 appearances out of the bullpen, with 3 saves, and put up a respectable 3.65 ERA.

Hickey again was a main cog in the bullpen for the 1982 White Sox.  He set career highs in wins, appearances, innings pitched, strikeouts, and saves.

While 1983 was a successful year for the White Sox, ending in their first divisional title, things did not work out as well for Hickey.  A shoulder injury sidelined him after only 23 games, and his ERA at the time of his injury was 5.23.

Hickey returned to the minor leagues to rehab in 1984, and, in August, he, along with future star Doug Drabek, were sent to the Yankees as the players to be named later for Roy Smalley.  Hickey signed again with the White Sox as a free agent in March of 1987, but did not make it back to the majors and was released on August 21.

In 2003, Hickey was hired by the White Sox to be their batting practice pitcher.  He would serve in that role until April 2012, when he was found unresponsive in a Texas hotel room before the White Sox opened the season against the Rangers.  He passed away a month later at the age of 56.

Hickey’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#138 – Doug Drabek

Doug Drabek

Name: Doug Drabek

Rank: 138

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1997

Doug Drabek first joined the White Sox organization as their 11th round draft pick in the 1983 draft.  Little more than a year later, he was traded, along with Kevin Hickey, to the Yankees for veteran Roy Smalley.  After establishing himself elsewhere, and on the downside of his career, Drabek rejoined the White Sox, signing as a free agent prior to the 1997 season.

Drabek struggled with the White Sox, putting up a 12-11 record with a 5.74 ERA, the worst of his career to this point.  Following the season, he became a free agent and left the White Sox for the second, and final, time.

Drabek’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#261 – Roy Smalley

roysmalleyName: Roy Smalley

Rank: 261

Position: 3B

Year With White Sox: 1984

Roy Smalley came to the White Sox on July 18, 1984 from the Yankees in exchange for Kevin Hickey and future Cy Young award winner Doug Drabek.  The Sox took a chance that Smalley could help wake up their struggling club and help them to repeat as champions of the American League West.  He hit .239 with the Yankees, but the change of scenery didn’t end his struggles.  Smalley appeared hesitant defensively at third base and out of sync at the plate, hitting an anemic .170 in 48 games with the Sox.

The next February, the White Sox sent Smalley to the Twins, in exchange for minor leaguers Ron Scheer and Randy Johnson (no, not that Randy Johnson).  Under an unusual arrangement, the Twins had to keep Smalley for at least two years, at which point they had the option of returning him to the Sox.  Smalley ended up playing three years with the Twins before he, and the 3 years and $1.6 remaining on his contract, was shipped back to Chicago.

After adjusting things to make room for him during spring training, the White Sox made Smalley their final cut coming out of spring training.  “They’ve got a direction they are going in,” Smalley said. “It was obvious from the beginning that the direction didn’t include me.”  Despite not making the team, Smalley impressed the Sox brass.  “He’s a fine young man,” said Sox manager Jim Fregosi.  “He handled himself very well.”  The 35-year old Smalley never played in the major leagues again.

Smalley’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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